I was walking the dog at just after 8.30 this morning and walked passed a guy (for the reason of this story, I’ll call Fred), putting a Kona Blast mountain bike out for the scrap man, the only thing missing was tyres, chain and a seat.  I asked if he would consider giving it away, he replied, “no, why should I”? I replied, “well, I don’t have a use or space for it, but I’m sure a young kid in the village would welcome the chance to have it, repair it and use it himself”. I know the bike is no more than 4 years old and in very good condition, I asked if I could buy it from him, he replied, “yes, I want £500”, I stood and shook my head.  I tried to reason with him, but he refused to change his mind.

Fred is well known for being petty, even some of his friends find him very difficult at times. I got home, called Pete, one of his mates, told him what the score was and he nipped round, to ask if he could have it to build up as a spare.  Just a few minutes ago, Pete appeared at my house and told me what had been the outcome, he had gone to see Fred, asked him if he could have or even buy the bike. Pete told me that Fred had gone off on one, started swearing at Pete, poking him on the chest and telling him to Foxtrot Oscar, he even started making threats to Pete if he didn’t mind his own business.

Pete has ridden with the idiot for several years, both together and in a friendly group they are part of.  Pete arranges rides out, books the hotels etc and plans the routes, but after this morning, he’s now decided to keep away from Fred and go riding on his own or in the group, as long as Fred is not with them. This has really upset Pete, he’s such an easy going guy and will do anything to help anyone, he also helps the other riders with maintenance, repairs and wheel building.  Pete will be talking to the other members of the group about what had happened and I can imagine Fred will not be welcome anymore and will have to go cycling alone.

I cannot believe how this idiot has behaved, yes, it’s his property and can do with it as he wants, but why get so nasty and even turn on his friend?  Any spare parts I have or upgrade, I give to a charity in Durham, so they can use them on bikes they repair and build up.

I’m sat here, still shaking my head in disbelief.

Fred broke rule #1

As much as he sounds like a bit of a dick, he also sounds like he might have mental health problems too. Not that that’s any help, but it could explain how he acted.

anjantom +1

I’ve always imagined that the main problem with living in a village is that the dicks are more difficult to ignore.

Is Fred on his period?

Seriously as said above Fred might have issues.

Although some people are just dicks. It’s his property and if he wants to give it to the tat man or charge you £500 that’s his perogative.

Just wait until he’s gone inside and go take it.

Blimey, I thought I’d just wandered into PrimarySchoolTrackWorld for a moment.

So, he’s disposing of a piece of his property. You, not unreasonably, ask if you can have it and he, for whatever reason, says no. His right. So you get all precious and then send another friend round to ask the same thing. He gets the same answer. Now you’re all falling out and don’t want to play together again.

Just wait until he’s gone inside and go take it.

This ^

If if did happen as you say I have to agree that is massively petty.

Wonder if Fred is on here!

Where is it? I’ll drive over and rescue it for you if you want, I’m only in Peterlee and we can sling it in the car and do one before Fred’ll even know it’s gone, as long as it’s out in the street and abandoned.

Wait until it is on the scrap heap then run by and pick up..take home and sort then gift to a kid (or the charity you mention).

Wait until it is on the scrap heap then run by and pick up

This. If it’s left out for the scrap man, “rescue” it.

Write scrapman on 2 pieces of cardboard and fix it to your car. Put on a baseball cap and a fake moustache and go pick it up. Fred will be none the wiser and you can even scour the rest of the village for unwanted stuff.

Can I have your  Kona?

Wonder if Fred is on here!

Think he’s ‘ad a few usernames since that, guv-nah.

And THAT Fred’s much more inclined towards giving away perfectly serviceable  (sometimes even highly desirable) bikes for nowt, as well as working for a bicycle recycling charity

Wee in his Bombers, put gravel down his chimney and Sudocrem his woodburner.

It’s the only language these bastards understand.

Apologies for bringing golf into it, but Pete just needs to tell Fred to do one.

Many moons ago my Dad used to play golf regularly with a bloke he’d known for years and who he used to play cricket with in the 70s and 80s. This bloke was just getting more and more cantankerous and eventually my Dad had just had enough. After yet another 18th hole tantrum my Da just said to him “I am not playing golf with you ever again”. When the bloke (a bit taken aback) asked why he said “because you’re a ****”.

As far as I’m aware they haven’t spoken since.

Did you get it?

Could his wife be having an affair with the scrap man?

Here he is trying to bait the guy into a confrontation and he has to fend off every other man and his dog from taking off with said bait. No wonder he is annoyed.

Could his wife be having an affair with the scrap man?

I doubt it, she looks like an unemployed lesbian!

As for just taking it away, he’s the kind of bloke who would call the police.

Nice hot bath with all the oils, slip into your sauciest lingerie, housecoat over the top, clatter round to Fred’s in your stillettos and Change His Mind.

Just offer the scrap man a tenner for it & donate it to one of the kids or strip it for spares.

As mentioned above,it sounds like he’s got mental health issues

So you get all precious and then send another friend round to ask the same thing. He gets the same answer. Now you’re all falling out and don’t want to play together again.

It wasn’t a case of getting precious and falling out, I saw something being discarded and though it was a good way to put something back into the community and help someone out.

Simples.

Willy – what is the point of being old if you can’t tell interfering busybodies to do one? Fred’s taking the bins out and you’re getting up his ringpiece about sustainable living, of course he’s going to be a cantankerous arse about it.

Although credit to yourself for dishing out some mulish intransigence of your own, sending your mate round to besiege poor Fred further. That was really going to help wasn’t it?

she looks like an unemployed lesbian!

Because the unemployed and lesbians have some stereotypical less attractive look?

Maybe he’s seen her snogging women during working hours?

I’ve seen lesbian videos on the internet and they’re usually pretty fit, don’t know if they had jobs though. I think some might have been housewives…

Fred is well known for being petty, even some of his friends find him very difficult at times….

This has really upset Pete, he’s such an easy going guy and will do anything to help anyone

So, a guy you know to be a dick acts, unsurprisingly, like a dick and it somehow turns into the perfect excuse to mess up Pete’s day and pat yourself on the back for trying to

put something back into the community and help someone out.

Marvelous work there.

Oh well, that’s me finished with trying to help out and put something back into the community.

What’s the point when a slagging off is all that comes of it.

Maybe the kids in the village hve been pure **** to Fred, chapping his door and running away, toilet papering his walls, dogshite through the letter box. No surprise he doesn’t want to help the little bastards.

I don’t know about mental health issues, but he just sounds like a ****.

Fair play for trying, and for sending someone else to try. Don’t see anything wrong with that, you were trying to do the decent thing.

I don’t know about mental health issues, but he just sounds like a ****.

haven’t you heard? no-one is a **** anymore, they just have mental health issues.

Yeah! So lay off Theresa May OK!

Oh well, that’s me finished with trying to help out and put something back into the community.

What’s the point when a slagging off is all that comes of it.

I wouldn’t take too much notice of the keyboard warriors on here.

Anyway, here’s a nice story about re-using bikes: someone dobs in their neighbour to the council, about them using their council house to refurbish bikes to give to poorer children. The council investigates, and instead of stopping them, decides to support the project instead.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/neighbour-complains-council-house-bike-2029002

Sounds a bit like a guy I knew of up in Durham years ago. He had a garage/repair business/breakers yard & I heard about a chap who’d gone looking for a windscreen for a Citroen, which Olaf had in. Olaf says he wants £60 (or whatever it was back then) bloke says he can get a new one at the Citroen dealers down the road for £70, so Olaf picks a hammer up & smashes the windscreen, then says, ‘well go there then’

Odd chap.